Eager beavers damaging trees along Kanawha Boulevard

Residents who have been out for a stroll or jog along the lower level of Kanawha Boulevard may have noticed the telltale signs of chewing on some trees.

There is beaver trouble, and officials are sounding off about what could happen if those critters do any more damage to those trees.

Just a couple hundred feet downstream from the Capitol, there is girdling -- the term used to describe the damage to a tree.

Beavers have done damage to several of these little trees along the boulevard, and that is why there is some protective gear covering up around them, to stop the damage, before the beavers gnaw completely through the trees.

Eyewitness News talked with the Division of Natural Resources officials who said it's very rare to see beavers out this close to the public, but it does happen.

Now, since the Kanawha River is too large for beavers to build a dam on, DNR officials said, they are probably collecting trees for an underground nest.

DNR officials said a male adult beaver can down about 200 trees a year.

On Eyewitness News at 5, DNR officials will provide more details about the kinds of problems beavers can cause and how you can prevent them from doing damage on your property.

Also, Eyewitness News spoke with a woman who has been running the boulevard since the 1970s, and she has actually seen some beavers in the area.